Twisting Fate
by Rini Rika
Summary: A girl's quest to avenge the death of her family, and the discovery that her wrath comes upon someone unexpected - New summary, updated chapter! -
1. Prologue

A/N - This is my first fic posted online. There may be some spelling mistakes, I apologize for this. I hope you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer - Naruto is not mine...no matter how much I wish.

"example" - speaking

_example_ - thoughts

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**Twisting Fate: Prologue**

The golden sun was setting like every other day, its rays spreading dozens of colours across the sky over the lands. A young girl looked up from her training to gaze at the colours, panting slightly. Her long brown hair was tied loosely with a black ribbon, strands of her hair hanging freely in the air. Her hazel brown eyes grazed the sky silently as she shaded them from the light. She stood like that for long moments before sighing, looking at the tree covered in kunais. Her lips curved slightly as she walked to the tree and pulled out her kunais, returning them to her pouch before walking back to the village she was residing in. As she walked, she pulled on her long, black gloves, flexing her fingers and smiled, glad she snipped the fingers off of the gloves. Stopping at the edge of the woods for a short rest, she stretched out her arms as far as she could, hearing a few cracks along with a pop. She almost chuckled as she brought her arms back to resnap the buttons on her top, dusting off the noticibly dark brown spots of dirt on her deep, crimson red top. Continuing to dust her clothes, she wiped off her raven-black shorts, and the knees of her black and red striped leggings. Taking a look at her black shoes she sighed, tapping the toe of her shoes on the ground, fixing them enough to satisfy her. Making a quick check of the pouches on her belt, she walked along the path leading to the heart of the village where a small club was built. Having her looks, she passed the looks of 20 and was allowed to drink whatever she had ordered, so she had visited the club often, sometimes her only refuge from her terrible dreams. Opening the door, she scrunched her nose, the smell of smoke and alcohol making her feel sick to her stomach. Trying her best to ignore the smell, she walked to the counter and sat upon the stool, resting her arms on the counter as she waited for service.

_ Who'd have thought that this mangy place takes hours to just serve only a few customers, who always order the same drink and are regulars,_ she thought bitterly, tapping her fingers on the oak wood impatiently. After several minutes, a man of his early thirties walked over and smiled.

"Ahhh! Kiri! Welcome back. Its been a long time, hasn't it," the man asked happily. Kiri sighed inwardly and forced a smile onto her face, acting like her 'sweet' self, as she did through out the village.

"Yeah, I've been busy with jobs and everything. So...can I have the usual," she asked, trying to sound sweet. He laughed and walked off for a moment, then came back with a wine glass filled with ice and a clearish red liquid. "Thanks." She smiled until he left and glowered at him behind his back. "Finally..." She stirred the drink with a straw and took small sips, feeling the sweet tasting drink wash over her tongue and down her throat. She took a glance around the room and saw a group of travellers enjoying themselves not to far away, in hearing distance. She looked back at her drink and took a few more sips, hearing them getting into a conversation.

"What do you mean? Zabuza Momochi? Devil of the Mist, dead? How can that be?!"

"I heard it was that Hatake Kakashi behind it....and he had children with him! No doubt teaching them how to be ruthless killers."

"The kyuubi had appeared there...maybe it came back." Kiri's eyes widened at the name of kyuubi, clenching her fist tightly.

"Kyuubi...how can that be?! He was last heard of fighting that foolish Hokage from Konoha!"

"You idiot, he sealed the kyuubi into a kid. So Hatake Kakashi must be training it..."

Anger wavered throughout Kiri's body as images of the dreaded kyuubi flashed through her mind. Slamming the money onto the counter, she got to her feet and left the building, walking to the small house she called her home. Going inside, she grabbed her weapons and a backpack, stuffing in blankets, clothes and sealed food. After she finished her rushed packing, she pulled on her flame resistant cloak and headed out of the village, one thing on her mind: _revenge on the kyuubi, who destroyed her life!_

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A/N - This is shorter than I planned...but its just the prologue. There will be longer and better chapters quite soon.

Rini


	2. Noodles and Gratitude

A/N - Whee! I got reviews - Yay! And in reply...

Blue L - Thanks for the comment, and yeah, Naruto hasn't had it easy. Not to spoil the story...I'll be nice to him.

joecool4 - Hehe. I can't tell you what will happen. Gotta read wink Also, what you said would be a great summary Its cute-ish.

Disclaimer: Naruto not mine pout darn...

Hope you like it! Review if you'd like. Ideas and comments are welcome! Flames aren't...but...if you really wanna, then go ahead. '

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**Twisting Fate - Noodles and Gratitude**

A gentle wind grazed the rooftops of Konoha and wrapped around the body of the young Naruto, who sat upon the roof of his house, his wild blond hair waving with the wind as it blew. His azure blue eyes gazed at the sky as a sigh escaped his lips, wrapping his arms around his knees. Blinking several times due to intruding tears, he stifled the sob and rubbed his face, feeling the whisker-like scars on his cheeks. Again, like so many times in his life, his fingers traced the scars and feelings washed over his body. Why was the Kyuubi inside him? Why couldn't the villagers forget about the Kyuubi and treat him equally? He sighed again and looked back into the village. His eyes twitched when he saw Sakura hanging around Sasuke and he let out a growl. He, and the team, had been sent out to rescue Sasuke from the snake. Even after bringing him home, Sasuke was STILL loved and wanted, and he himself was still an outcast.

"Damnit, Sasuke. Why do YOU always get the attention," Naruto asked angrily, clenching his fists. His body trembled as he searched his mind for a reasonable answer. _Because he's a damn pretty boy...because he's the Uchiha prodigy. So what?!_ Naruto heaved out a heavy sigh and gave up fighting, feeling his eyes overflow with tears. Making a small sob, Naruto brought his hands up and cried quietly, feeling his body tremble more. _Why can't I get someone to like me? Why can't I have a friend?_ "WHY, DAMNIT!!!" He heard his voice echo through the village, Sasuke's head turning to look for the source of the voice. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Naruto, who had gotten to his feet and jumped to the ground, disappearing into his house. His mind began to question Naruto as well as himself, silently trying to answer them when a loud whine brought him out of his thoughts.

"Sasuke, are you even listening to me," Sakura asked loudly, pouting at his lack of attention. He let out a quiet 'hn' and Sakura grinned, grabbing his arm and nuzzling it. "I'm so glad you're back! I knew you were only going for a few days! I told everyone! No one believed me, but I told them! I said, 'My Sasuke is perfectly fine! He loves Konoha, and he would never leave for good! He's going to come back and sweep me off my feet'!" Sasuke sighed angrily and shoved his hands into his pockets.

_ What did I do to deserve this torture? Damnit, Sakura, don't you ever shut up,_ Sasuke thought angrily. After getting his answer (no, she wasn't shutting up) Sasuke turned on his heel and walked away, hearing Sakura's protests and cries. _I should go see the dobe. I never did thank him..._ Nodding to his thoughts, he walked casually to the home of the most unwanted person in Konoha, the home of Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto collapsed onto his bed and sighed, staring at his dull, white ceiling yet again, counting the cracks and paint chips. Becoming bored with his ceiling rather quickly, Naruto groaned and crawled under the small blankets of his bed which were blue and white, burying his nose into the pillow. He stayed like that for several minutes until he heard his stomach growl, reminding him that he hadn't eaten yet today. Grumbling, he slowly got out of the bed and padded to the kitchen, looking up at the open and bare cupboards. His face fell, as well as his heart, not seeing any ramen cups. Dejectedly, he closed the cupboard and went to walk over to the fridge when a small object caught his eye. A grin appeared on Naruto's face, seeing the lone cup of ramen on the counter. Overly happy about his new find, he jumped into the air with a gleeful "YES!" After landing back and grinning like an idiot, he boiled a pot of water and quickly poured it into the cup. He sat down in front of the ramen, his chin on the table as his glanced shot back and forth between the ramen and the clock. After what seemed like hours, Naruto finished preparing his ramen and grinned, clicking the ends of his chopsticks happily. Almost immediately he dug into the ramen, slurping and eating the noodles messily, the warm, spiced broth splashing onto his cheeks. Just then, in mid-slurp, the sound of a knock interrupted Naruto's meal, making him growl in annoyance, slurping the dangling noodles into his mouth. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand before getting to his feet and walking to the door. Ready to get a bucket of water or some other prank, he braced himself and opened the door. What he saw was the last thing he expected.

Sasuke shoved his hand back into his pocket, shifting slightly so that he could see the blonde's face through his hair. Seeing the shocked look on his face, Sasuke barely stifled the chuckle in his voice.

"Sasuke," Naruto asked quietly with a tone of confusion. Sasuke grumbled quietly and let out a 'hn' before he decided to look up at the blonde and look him eye-to-eye.

"Dobe," he replied, in a slight mocking tone. Naruto growled, gripping the doorknob of his front door while glaring at Sasuke. Anger waved through him as he narrowed his eyes, ready to slam the door in Sasuke's face.

"Why the hell are you bothering me, Sasuke? To rub it in that nothing's changed? That I still have to struggle just to get someone to say hi," Naruto exclaimed angrily, his body slowly trembling. "Damnit! Why don't you people just leave me-"

"Thanks, dobe," Sasuke said quietly, barely audible with Naruto yelling. Naruto stopped and blinked in puzzlement, questions running through his mind. _Since when do I get thanked? Since when does SASUKE thank me?!_ Naruto's head tilted to the side and he blinked again, waiting for any other sound coming from Sasuke. After long moments of silence, Sasuke shrugs and turns, walking down the steps to the village streets.

"Hey, Sasuke, wait," Naruto yelled, running after him. Sasuke stopped but didn't turn, keeping his eyes on the ground. "Why are you thanking me?" Sasuke let out a chuckle and looked back at Naruto, giving him a small smile.

"You saved me. Only thing I could come up with to repay you," Sasuke replied with a 'matter-of-factly' tone. He turned and walked off, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts. Shaking his head, he took a step forward.

"You can thank me by buying me ramen!!!" Smiling at his new thought, he waited for a response or action from Sasuke. There was none; he kept walking down the road, and then disappeared around the corner. Naruto blinked and made a sighed, then let out a yelp. "My ramen!! DON'T BE COLD!!!" Naruto ran back into the house and stared at the cup, letting out a big sigh as he saw steam still drifting off the broth. Sitting back down, he lifted the chopsticks and resumed devouring his favourite meal.

Sasuke leaned against the side of the house and smiled._ There, I did it. I thanked the dobe...not like anyone else was going to go out of their way to even be nice to him._ He let out a sigh, about to start walking again when Naruto's voice echoed through the streets.

"You can thank me by buying me ramen," the blonde's voice exclaimed in a hopeful tone. Sasuke smiled again and shook his head. _That's Naruto, always thinking of his stomach. The way he eats, I'm surprised he's not like Chouji or something. Heh, another wonder of the-_

"My ramen!! DON'T BE COLD!!!" Sasuke couldn't help but let out a laugh, grinning at his thoughts. _Yeah, that's Naruto. Maybe he'll see that food isn't the greatest thing of life._ Sasuke pushed himself away from the wall and walked down to the road, deciding the walk the streets again. Not long after, the voice of girl's reached Sasuke and he shuddered inwardly, not wanting to face the group of noisy girls when a gust of wind hit him, making him turn to look at the village walls. _What the...something's not right..._

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A/N - See? I was nice to Naruto Yeah...Sasuke kinda became a softy. Hehe. 

Rini


	3. Kitsune

A/N - Hey everyone. Here are replies to reviewers

**joecool4** - No, there is no Yaoi relationships in this story. I'm more of a reader of yaoi, than a writer.

**DarkGaara** - Hmm...Kiri is about the age of 18

Also, my updates may become less frequent....new semester in school and I'll have to get used to it. But I will update

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. But all OC's are mine

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**Twisting Fate: Kitsune**

Staring at the glowing sunset, Kiri sighed, heaving her shoulders. _How far away is that damn Konoha?! I'd better not be lost! Damnit!!_ Kiri cried out in anger and punched the trunk of a tree out of blind rage, snapping back to her senses when she felt pain jolt through her arm and sear at her knuckles. She pulled her arm back and looked at her hand, seeing a cut in her gloves and some blood seeping out. She cursed silently to herselfand dropped to her knees, taking off her backpack and rummaged through it. She let out a quiet victory sound as she pulled out a roll of bandage, smiling. Pulling off her glove, she flexing her hand slightly, feeling it was slightly numb. She wrapped the bandage around it tightly and tied it, putting the bandage back into her backpack along with her glove. Sitting down she looked through her bag again, pulling out a few canned foods, making a heavy sigh. _Of course I'd have to get lost in the middle of nowhere and have no fire jutsus....I hate eating cold food,_ she thought angrily, glaring at the ground, wishing it would burst into flames. To no avail she sighed, pulling out a kunai and cutting the top off of the can. Pulling out a bowl and chopsticks, she sighed, dumping the food into the bowl. _Why'd I take beans? I hate beans...argh!._ Stirring the food slightly, she gathered a few beans onto her chopsticks and held it to her mouth, about to eat it unwantingly when she heard a quiet whimper. Searching the bushes around her, she heard the whimper again, hearing a tone of pain. Placing her food down, she got onto her hands and knees and crawled to where the sound was coming from, peeking through the bushes. Her face fell when she saw a baby animal, caught in a snare and whimpering, licking its front paw, which was covered in some blood. She crawled through the bushes, startling the pup as it jumped to its feet and snarled defensively. Ignoring the growls, Kiri reached forward and pushed the trigger, opening the trap. The pup blinked and stared at the trap with a look saying it half-expected the trap and grab at its foot again. It then 'yipped' happily when it realized the trap was 'dead', limping away from it and towards Kiri, licking her face. Kiri giggled and held the pup close to her, nuzzling its cold, wet nose.

"You poor thing...you look hungry..." Kiri then smiled, getting up and walking back to her food. She sat back down, still holding the wounded pup as she picked up the bowl and held it to the pup. "Here, eat this." The pup looked up at Kiri with confusion, then yipped again, burying its snout into the bowl of beans, eating with glee. Kiri smiled again and and gazed at the small animal in her arms before she realized what it was. _This...this thing is a fox!! But...it....it can't be related to the kyuubi....can it?_ Her eyes examined the fox kit in her arms for several moments, and she sighed, slowly placing her hand onto the kit's head and stroked its fur. The fox trembled gently, but continued to crave the emptiness of its stomach. Kiri continued to stroke the fox's orange-red fur, trying to decide if the kit was related to kyuubi. After long moments, she sighed. _It doesn't have killer intents...but...maybe....maybe I can help this fox become stronger, help it become powerful, and maybe...it'll help me when I fight kyuubi. Yes...that's a perfect idea._ She couldn't help but smile as the fox finished eating the beans, looking up at her and licking its lips happily. "You don't seem so bad. And you're cute, too. I'm going to name you Kitsune...Kit for short. Like it?" Almost in understanding, the fox jumped up and yipped, making Kiri smile. Remembering the hurt foot, Kiri reached over and grabbed her bag, pulling out the bandage again. Carefully taking the kit's paw into hand, she wrapped it gently, but tightly enough as to not fall off. She smiled after tying it and stroked the fox's fur again. "There you go. All better." Kitsune yipped in reply and nuzzled Kiri again, making her giggle. She smiled to herself, liking her thoughts of training the fox more and more when Kit jumped out of her lap and walked around slowly, trying to ignore its wound. Watching the fox silently, Kit began to limp less, putting more pressure on it foot with each step. Kit then looked at Kiri and yipped, stomping its two front paws onto to the ground to show that the wound was healing. Kiri reached over and stroked Kit in reward, trembling under the touch.

_I think I'm going to like having Kit here as a companion...and hopefully, there's isn't a problem when kyuubi appears._ Yawning quietly, Kiri noticed how late it was and pulled a blanket out of her backpack, wrapping it around her. Kit watched her with confusion as she laid down, her bag being her pillow. Lifting her arm slightly, she smiled at Kit. "Come here kit. Bedtime." Kit yipped and ran under the blanket, crawling up to her chin and nuzzling her. Kiri giggled and wrapped the blanket around herself and the fox, closing her eyes. _This is only the beginning, Kyuubi. Just you wait...I'll get my revenge. Kit will be more than happy to help me._ With those thoughts, Kiri drifted off to sleep, unknowing of the shadows lurking close by.

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A/N - Hehe, cute, ne? Sometime soon, I'm going to try drawing pictures in relation of my chapters. Key word is try. Review if you want. Thanks for reading 

Rini


	4. The Village of Konoha

A/N - Hey everyone! Sorry about not updating til now. Stupid teachers..they're all against me. I know they're plotting something against me...

Anyways, here are replies to your comments!

**joecool4** - Yeah, I didn't mean to make it slow. I meant to add more, but I keep getting and losing ideas, so the speed and length of the story is going to differ throughout.

**Caga** - I'm glad you like it, and no, I will not hurry up. hehe. I'm kidding, I'll try to update as often as possible.

Again, Naruto is not mine.

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**Twisting Fate - The Village of Konoha**

A quiet irritable growl left the young ninja's lips as he rested on his usual tree branch, far from the village walls. He lifted a hand up and ran his fingers through the black hair, moving back into its 'place'. He watched the world around and below him with black, emotionless eyes. _How could I let Itachi take over my life? And that snake bastard? Damnit, I can't believe I was so stupid to be a puppet to both of them,_ Sasuke thought in anger. He huffed at his thoughts, picking at his arm warmers absent-mindedly.He feltthe cool, everning's wind blow around him,and shook his head in distraut. _Ever since I thanked the dobe last month...he's been acting different. Mature? No...he's too childish to be mature...maybe...respectful? God, why do I even care? Its the dobe.._ Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of crunching leaves below, causing him to stand and grab a kunai on reflex. _Please...don't let it be any of those nagging girls..._

Kiri sighed, walking mindlessly through the unknown forest. Beside her strode a medium-sized fox, its coat a glossy orange-red colour. It looked up at Kiri and yipped in concern and worry. Stopping, Kiri knelt down and stroked the soft fur on Kit's head.

"I know you're tired, Kit. I am too. But...we have to keep going, just a little longer. We've gotta be close to someone, right," she said in a weak-hopeful tone. She sighed in defeat when her stomach grumbled, making Kit whimper quietly and lick Kiri's hand. She smiled and stood back up. "A little farther, and if we don't find anything, we'll sleep, okay?" Kit let out a small yipped and they both started walking again, Kit's ears twitching with each noisy step. Kiri sighed and grabbed the strap of her backpack. _I can't give in...I'm so tired...and weak...I feel like I'm about to collapse...but I can't. I have to find that damn Kyuubi...and-_

"Who's out there! Show yourself," a loud, emotionless voice exclaimed. Kiri and Kit both jumped in shock, searching the woods for the source of the voice.

"I'm just a traveller trying to find the village of Konoha! I don't want to fight with anyone," Kiri yelled in reply, Kit growling suddenly. She reached down to pet Kit's head when a shadow jumped in front them, black eyes glaring at them coldly. _Oh god...Is that Kyuubi? I'm not ready!_ Kiri cried in her mind, grabbing a kunai for defense. Kit growled even louder, baring his teeth at the stranger, who didn't flinch.

"I will help you to Konoha, only if you do as I say," the stranger replied. Kiri nodded silently, still holding the kunai tightly. "I want you to put your weapon back..." Kiri's mind fought the idea, unsure if he was trustable. Reluctantly, sheobeyed the man, placing her kunai back into her holster. "...I don't want any plans of attacking me, and stifle the fox." Kiri flinched with anger but sighed, kneeling down and stroking Kit's head.

"Kit, hush...we're not fighting with him. He's taking us to Konoha...he's not who we're looking for." Kit stopped growling after a few moments, standing in front of Kiri protectively, making the stranger shake his head.

"The fox won't be welcomed in the villager. They've been against foxes ever since-"

"Ever since Kyuubi, right?" The man nodded, showing no shock that she knew. "I understand, but Kit is not Kyuubi." He shook his head and turned around, walking off.

"Whatever...follow me." Kiri and Kit looked at each other, then gave a nod, following the stranger through the forest.

Kiri gasped as she gazed at the village from the gates, her eyes wide with excitement. Kit sat by her feet, sniffing the air, taking in its new surroundings.

"Wow! Its...its so beautiful," she exclaimed, seeing the colourful leaves still on its branches, swaying in the wind. She smiled happily and turned to Sasuke. "Thank you! Could you...show me where a food shop is?" Shrugging his shoulders, he pointed off to a direction, then jumped onto the rooftops, disappearing. Kiri and Kit walked in the direction pointed out, after several minutes, the villagers were stopping and pointing at them, some of them scowling. _Gosh...do they do this to every visitor?_ Kit yipped happily, running ahead and to a meat market, smelling the wonderful, tantalizing food. Kiri walked up alongside the smiled warmly at the shopkeep, not noticing his angry glare. "I would like a package of beef, please."

"I refuse to sell anything to the likes of you. Get away from my store," the man exclaimed angrily. Kiri gasped, and glared back at the man.

"I just want to get food like any other person! Why do I get different treatment," Kiri yelled. The man glowered and got out from behind the counter, easily towering over Kiri.

"I'm telling you this last time. Get the hell away from my shop, and don't come back!" With his words, he kicked Kit hard in the hind leg, making him yelp loudly in pain, as well as snarl at the man. Kiri punched at him, but he grabbed her fist and threw his own punch, landing on her jaw squarely. She fell back and cried out, holding her bloody jaw in pain, Kit growling at the man from behind Kiri. "Get the hell out of our village! You're not wanted!"

"You are just another narrow-minded bastard! He's just a fox! We were trying to buy food! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" Kiri winced in pain, holding her jaw tighter when the man kicked her leg. She screamed loudly in pain, shuddering visibly as tears swelled in her eyes. Just as the man was about to attack again, a boy jumped between them, holding a kunai up to the man.

"Back off! I saw the whole thing, do you want me to go to the Hokage on you and cost you your life," the boy exclaimed angrily. The man glared at him, then turned, going back to his shop. The boy let out a sigh of relief, replacing his kunai and turning to Kiri and Kit. He smiled warmling, holding his hand out. "Here, let me help you up." Kiri looked at her saviour, realizing he was just a kid, maybe 16 years old. His blond hair was spiked up slightly, and his azure blue eyes were filled with comfort. She gave him a smile, and placed her hand into his. He pulled her up gently, making her wince in pain. "I'm sorry I didn't help any earlier...you should let me clean your wound. And feed you. You can stay with me." He smiled warmly at Kiri, making her smile more, trying to ignore the pain.

"Thank you..." she started saying, looking at the boy for his name. His smile grew when he realized what she meant.

"Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage, at your services!" Kit yipped at Naruto, trying to get between him and Kiri, growling quietly. Kiri looked at him worriedly, seeing him limp from where he was kicked. Naruto chuckled and knelt down, reaching out to pet him.

"Kit doesn't like...strangers." Kiri watched as Naruto scratched under Kit's chin, who purred with happiness at the gentle touch, looking up at Naruto with brown eyes. "I guess he likes you. His name is Kit..." Naruto stood up and looked at Kiri. "And I'm Kiri...thank you.."

"Come on. Let's go to my house before your wound gets infected, okay?" Kiri nodded and blushed slightly, watching as Naruto lifted Kit into his arms and smiled at Kiri, leading her through the village, ignoring the glares they recieved.

_He's really nice...and Kit doesn't mind him at all. That's exactly what this world needs...more caring people. More...love._

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A/N - Yay, another chappie done. I hope you like it...and yes, Sasuke became good. Scary, ne? lol. Anyways, comment if you like. Ja ne! 

Rini


	5. Promise in the Night

Rini - Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. I got caught up with a lot of things...stupid spring cleaning. Anyways, here are replies to your comments. :smile:

**maxhrk - **I'm glad you like this story, and when Kiri finds out the truth about Naruto...well...let's see what she thinks

**Inuyasha-gal-97 - **I'm glad you like my story. To be honest, I'm not fond of my writing skills...but I'm glad you like them. :smiles: And with posting your fanfic, please, email me and I'll be glad to help you. My email is in my profile...well, I think it is

**didygal - **Aww, Kiri's not an idiot...well...if you think about it...she kinda is. She can't help it she doesn't know anything about Naruto. Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you like the story.

That's all! So, without further ado, away we go! Hope you enjoy the story. :smile:

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**Promise in the Night**

Kiri whimpered quietly, her swollen jaw pulsing with pain with each ticking second, sitting alone in the living room of Naruto's apartment. Trying her best to hold her jaw in place with as little pain, she sighed, failing horribly as her body trembled. Coming up with a new and probably dumb way to ignore the pain, she decided to look around the living room for anything she could focus on. As her eyes searched every inch of the room, she sighed, not finding anything special to look at, just old-looking furniture and movies. _It doesn't even look like he lives with anyone...is he an orphan like me? Are we...destined to be together?_ Her heart raced with her thoughts, picturing Naruto's warm smile in her mind. Enjoying her thoughts happily, she imagined herself and Naruto getting married...kissing...with children. She blushed slightly and looked down at her hand, remembering his touch. _He's so gentle...and kind. God...it has to be love...but..does he.._ Kiri's thoughts were disturbed when the sight of a teacup and saucer appeared in front of her.

"Have some herbal tea...its soothes the pain," Naruto replied softly. Kiri accepted the drink and nodded in thanks, taking a small sip. The strong, tangy liquid swirled in her mouth and down her throat, almost instantly taking her mind off of her jaw, enjoying the drink. "Let me fix you up, okay?" Kiri nodded and blushed, sipping the tea quietly as Naruto inspected the gash on her cheek, wiping the blood and dirt away with a damp cloth. She trembled from the touch, the pain slowly returning when he wiped a cool gel onto the cut, making her shiver from the cold jelly. Placing gauze over it, he taped it down, smiling at his work. "There, all done." Kiri smiled.

"Thank you...you're really kind," she said quietly, blushing again. He chuckled nervously and ran his fingers throughout his soft, blond hair. As she watched him, she noticed markings on his cheeks, almost like scars made from an animal or fight. She reached out absently, touching the marks on Naruto's cheeks, causing him to blush more and pull away. Realizing what she did, she looked away, taking her hand back. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to.." Naruto let out a sigh and stroked his cheek where she had her fingers. _I'd rather not tell her about Kyuubi. Its caused me hell so far...just this once...someone won't know_, he thought, looking back up at Kiri, who was blushing. He blinked in confusion, watching her quietly. _Why is she blushing? D-does she like me! Oh god! Maybe there is someone for everyone! I definately can't tell her about Kyuubi!_ Naruto sighed, remembering his long thoughts in the bathroom.

**Minutes ago, in Naruto's Bathroom...**

Naruto clutched the first aid kit tightly to his chest, staring at the mirror with unsure eyes, looking back at himself. Staring into his own radiant blue eyes, he looked over his face, staring at the whisker-marks on his cheeks with hatred. _God...I...I think I like her. I never liked Sakura like this...but...would she accept me? With Kyuubi? Of course not...well...I could ask..._ Naruto thought with question. He shook his head and placed the first aid kit down, pacing the bathroom.

"How do I tell her? 'Kiri? I was just wondering...wanna...'...God no..never straight out. Ummm," Naruto pondered, scratching his head as he walked in circles. He grinned, stopped, and slammed his fist into his hand. "I got it! 'Kiri! How would you...' No!" Immediately, Naruto turned around and pointed an accusing finger at his reflection in the mirror. "You...you dobe! Don't be so stupid! Gah...I have no idea what I'm going to do..." Hanging his head down in defeat, Naruto sighed. "Kiri...I really like you...too immature! Wahh...this isn't going to work!"

**Back to the present time in the Living Room...**

"Hey...Kiri," Naruto asked quietly, watching her with shy, timid eyes as hundreds of sentences ran through his mind. (Yes...most of them are about ramen...) She looked over at him in response, making him fidget in spot and blush, trying his best to obtain and keep eye contact with her, which failed as he looked away. "How come you came here? Were you visiting relatives?"

_Naruto, you MORON,_ Naruto screamed in his mind. Kiri blushed and shook her head, looking down at her almost-empty teacup.

"I don't have relatives that I know of...you see...when I was only a few years old, a demon destroyed the village and killed almost everyone there. The people who were left took me in...but I never thought of them as family...I pretty much lived on my own.." Naruto looked up into her eyes, seeing the same lonely, sad, forlorn eyes he saw every morning in the mirror. Placing his hand onto her shoulder, he gave her a comforting smile.

"If it helps you feel better...the same thing happened to me. Except, most of the people who died were the Anbu...and my parents," he said, the last part barely a whisper. He shifted uncontrollably and sighed. "I had an uncle...and lived with him...but...he didn't want me...and left me here when he moved out of the village...probably the country. Thankfully, he sends me money for rent and groceries...and the odd times a present." Kiri looked at him with sadness, wishing she had someone who gave her presents and helped her live. She cursed at her village for the lack of help, and cursed at Kyuubi for ruining her life and what possible happiness she could have had. "Hey...I wanna show you something, okay?" Kiri looked back at Naruto and nodded, following Naruto out of the apartment and onto the roof. He jumped to a neighbouring roof, looking back at her to follow. She did, following him till they reached the Hokage monument, sitting atop and looking up at the stars.

"Wow...the sky is so clear! I don't think I've ever seen the stars this much," Kiri exclaimed, blushing from her lack of 'astronomy'. Naruto chuckled and laid back, looking up at the stars with a smile. Kiri did the same, giving her a better view of the outside world. She 'awwed' quietly, gaping at the open sky with wonder. "I love it...its great. Thank you..." Naruto smiled more, leaning his head back and looking away from Kiri.

"Hey...Kiri?" Kiri looked over and responding with a 'mmhmm'. Naruto chuckled, thinking her response was overly adorable. He blushed and continued with his thought, trying his best not to back out. "Since you don't have a place to stay...you can stay with me...and...I was also wondering..." Kiri blinked in question, watching Naruto in silence. "Would you...want to be my girlfriend?" _Oh god! That was pathetic...Naruto...you blew it! You stupid idi-_

"I'd love to," Kiri smiled, blushing madly as she answered. Naruto jumped to a sitting position and looked at Kiri happily, but with question. She smiled back, slightly moving closer to Naruto. Naruto smiled shyly and pulled her close, nuzzling into her long, dark hair, sighing happily.

"Kiri...I promise you that if anything bad happens...I'll protect you...okay?" Kiri smiled and cuddled against Naruto, nodding happily. _Someone else to help me fight Kyuubi...this is great._ Gently, Naruto shifted and pulled Kiri closer to him, gently pressing his lips against her own in a soft, shy kiss as one thought crossed both of their minds as they kissed.

_So, this is what its like to be in love..._

* * *

I'm not the best at writing sappy love stories. But I hope you like it :smile: If you have an idea for the story, and I like it, I'll add it and give you credit :big smile:

Ja ne! Rini


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